Golf putter

ABSTRACT

A putter is disclosed wherein the sole of the club head is provided with at least one elongate rail oriented substantially perpendicular to the club head face.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The priority of Provisional U.S. Application Ser. No. 60/624,853 filed Apr. 26, 2005 is claimed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Ever since the advent of the modem putter, golf club designers have continuously developed new means to square the putter face to the center of the golf ball so as to impart a truer roll to the ball about an axis that is generally aligned with the desired direction of the putt. Such design improvements have included visual aids such as arrows and hash marks on the top of the club face, a myriad of different putter head shapes, offset shafts of various configurations, and the inclusion of weights and counterbalances to improve club head balance and reduce torsion. Notwithstanding all such improvements, there is an ongoing need for a putter the face of which is readily aligned with the center of the ball and that is easily squared up with the ball at impact. This need and others which will become apparent to one skilled in the art of golf putter design, are met by the present invention, which is summarized and described in detail herein.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a golf putter wherein the putter head is provided with one or more elongate rails on the sole of the club head so as to raise the center of the putter face on a vertical axis so that it is more aligned with the height of the center of the ball.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a bottom perspective view of an exemplary club head of the inventive putter.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the bottom of the club head shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the back side of the club head shown in FIG. 1, showing a centered shaft connection.

FIG. 4 is an another elevational view of the back side of the club head shown in FIG. 1, showing an offset shaft connection.

FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of the club head shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the bottom of another exemplary club head of the inventive putter.

FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view of another exemplary club head of the inventive putter showing a different arrangement of rails.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings, wherein like numerals generally refer to the same elements, there is shown in FIGS. 1-5 a putter club head 10 connected to a shaft 11 or 11′, the club head having a club head face 12 for making contact with the golf ball, a heel portion 13, a toe portion 14, and a sole 15. Sole 15 is provided with at least one elongate rail 16 or 16′, and optionally includes a rearward-facing projection 17 provided with a recess 18 adapted to accept a permanent or removable weight 19 that is distal to club head face 12. Club head 10 may also be optionally provided with permanent or removable heel and toe weights 20 so as to improve the torsional balance of the club head. When heel and toe weights 20 and weight 19 are removable, they may be inserted or removed, for example, by a threaded engagement, such as is found in a nut and bolt combination. All three weights may be varied in size and weight so as to adjust the balance and feel of the putter to suit the individual golfer.

Sole 15 is provided with at least one elongate rail 16 or 16′, preferably up to three rails, and most preferably two rails. The rails are generally elongate as shown in FIGS. 1-7, and are oriented substantially perpendicular to club head face 12. The rail(s) may extend either partially across sole 15, as shown in FIGS. 1-4 and 6 or substantially completely across sole 15, as shown in FIG. 7. The rail(s) may be integral with sole 15, may be glued or bolted to the sole, or may be attachable thereto and detachable therefrom. The elongate rails(s) effectively raise the center of the putter face vertically so as to substantially align that center with the height of the center of the golf ball, thereby promoting more solid contact between the putter face and the ball. In a preferred embodiment, two elongate rails are provided that are spaced substantially equidistantly from the center of face 12, best seen in FIG. 2. When three rails are provided, the two outermost rails are situated substantially equidistantly from the center of face 12, best seen in FIG. 6. So as to minimize drag in the event the rail(s) touch the ground during the putting stroke, that portion of the rails distal to sole 15, is/are preferably radiused, most preferably convex in cross-section.

The putter shaft may be connected to club head 10 in substantial alignment with the center of face 12, as shown in FIG. 3, or offset from the center of the face, as shown in FIG. 4.

The overall shape of club head 10 may be of virtually any type, including, but not limited to, square, rectangular, oval, round, triangular and elliptical and may include a rearward-facing projection 17, as shown in FIGS. 1-2, or may not, as shown in FIG. 6.

The terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims which follow. 

1. A putter, comprising a shaft and a club head, said club head having a face, a heel, a toe and a sole, wherein said sole is provided with at least one elongate rail substantially perpendicular to said face.
 2. The putter of claim 1 wherein said at least one rail is integral with said sole.
 3. The putter of claim 1 wherein said at least one rail is attachable to and detachable from said sole.
 4. The putter of claim 1 provided with two rails spaced substantially equidistantly from the center of said face.
 5. The putter of claim 1 provided with three rails wherein the two outermost rails are spaced substantially equidistantly from the center of said face.
 6. The putter of claim 1 wherein said at least one rail extends across a portion of said sole.
 7. The putter of claim 1 wherein said at least one rail extends substantially entirely across said sole.
 8. The putter of claim 1 wherein said at least one rail has a substantially convex cross-section.
 9. The putter of claim 8 provided with two rails, spaced substantially equidistantly from the center of said face.
 10. The putter of claim 9 provided with weights in said heel and said toe spaced substantially equidistantly from the center of said face.
 11. The putter of claim 9 provided with at least one weight distal to said face and substantially aligned with the center of said face.
 12. The putter of claim 9 wherein said shaft is connected to said club head at a point that is offset from the center of said face.
 13. The putter of claim 10 wherein said shaft is connected to said club head at a point that is substantially aligned with the center of said face.
 14. The putter of claim 11 wherein a portion of said shaft is offset relative to an axis that is perpendicular to said club head.
 15. The putter of claim 13 wherein a portion of said shaft is offset relative to an axis that is perpendicular to said club head. 